Valve will make it easier to create, download Portal 2 test chambers

Although Portal 2's witty humor and slick co-op gameplay captivated gamers earlier this year, many players criticized the title's length. Fortunately, Valve has vowed to deliver polished downloadable content (one co-op add-on was released earlier this month). What's more, the company released Portal 2's authoring tools earlier this year, allowing the community at large to produce custom puzzles for fellow gamers.

So far, folks have created more than 700 puzzles. While that's considered a fantastic success, many aspiring modders have complained that the toolkit is too complicated to use. Likewise, many gamers have said it's too difficult to find and play the community-generated test chambers. In response to that feedback, Valve plans to resolve both problems in a future update -- though we haven't seen a specific release date.

Valve will supply the masses with a puzzle creator that offers "simplified" but "powerful" controls. The company didn't offer many specifics on the new authoring tools, but it did post two screenshots that resemble the cutesy visual style seen in Portal 2's promotional videos. After designing puzzles with the refined toolset, modders will be able to upload their creations directly to their Steam Cloud and share them with others.

You'll be able to find and rate puzzles quickly, and you'll be able to add them to your game with one click. "We're positive there are a ton of great puzzle designers just waiting for the right tools, and we're working hard to tap into all that creativity. We'll keep you posted as we continue to make progress with the update. For now, here are some screenshots of the puzzle creator to get the ideas flowing," the Portal 2 team writes.